PrimeTime_Fall_2018

A Brush Creek Ranch employee checks on an Akaushi pair in the foothills of the Medicine Bow National Forest. Ranch managers appreciate how well the cattle have adapted to the area’s rough terrain.

BY MACEY MUELLER, FREELANCE WRITER

NEW BLOOD IN THE

OLD WEST

AKAUSHI GENETICS ELEVATE DINING EXPERIENCE AT WYOMING LUXURY RANCH

N estled on more than 30,000 acres of expansive, rolling wilderness in Wyo- ming’s North Platte River Valley, the Brush Creek Luxury Ranch Collection is home to three uniquely beautiful vacation properties – the Lodge and Spa at Brush Creek Ranch, the Magee Homestead and the French Creek Sportsman’s Club. Each of the luxurious resort getaways offers guests a vast array of scenic views, outdoor adventures and world-class culi- nary experiences, including exclusively serving premium Akaushi beef raised on the ranch. Located just 20 miles southeast of Saratoga, Wyo., Brush Creek has been a working ranch since the late 1800s. Current owners Bruce and

Beth White purchased the property in 2008 and transformed it into a refined rustic vaca- tion spot where they are able to preserve and share the Western way of life with their guests. Part of that heritage lifestyle includes car- ing for several hundred head of cattle on the Brush Creek Ranch and the more recently acquired Sanger and TZ Ranches, which are located nearby. Ranch Manager Ron Hawkins and his staff oversee the expansive operation. Hawkins is a seasoned cattleman who has lived and worked in south-central Wyoming for more than 35 years and has dedicated himself to improving the ranch’s beef program through genetics and sustainability. When Hawkins joined the Brush Creek staff in

A ranch hand loops a calf during branding season on the ranch. Brush Creek is proud to carry on a legacy of traditional herd management practices like moving cattle by horseback and dragging them at branding time.

Continued page 18 the thousands of guests who visit the ranch proper- ties each year. “Our goal is to produce the finest 2008, he managed a herd of commer- cial cattle and has since added a set of Corriente cattle used for guest arena games and cattle drives. The growing herd of Akaushi cattle was introduced to the ranch in 2014, and is now used to feed

Akaushi Prime Time • Fall 2018

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